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Publisher's Summary

Mapp and Lucia is the centrepiece of E. F. Benson's series of Lucia novels - bringing together for the first time the eponymous middle-aged doyennes of polite 1930s society Miss Elizabeth Mapp and Emmeline Luca (Lucia to her friends).

Lucia, recently widowed, is the newcomer to the village of Tilling and eager to wrest the reins of social supremacy from the incumbant Miss Mapp and install herself as its benevolent dictator. In their polite acts of sabotage and ruthless jockeying for the position of cultural arbiter Mapp and Lucia tear up the conventions of drawing-room bridge evenings as their deadly weapons.

Things finally come to a head with Miss Mapp's audacious attempt to steal her rival's celebrated Lobster a la Riseholme. E.F. Benson's charming satrical bent turns the pretensions and snobberies of English village life into a vicious comedy.

Beautifully read but unfortunately heavily abridged which knocks out much of the original's charm. We're never told, for instance that 'the sostenuto pedal proved a thing of nought' and all the other wonderful E F Benson expressions which make his novels such a joy.

But I did liked Margolyles' 'Georgie' voice; deep, lazily drawling without the obvious campness that the charecter's usually laden with.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Susan

southampton, United Kingdom

11/19/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"shouldn't be abridged"

What did you like best about Mapp and Lucia? What did you like least?

I love the Lucia stories, especially the verbal duels between her and Miss Mapp. It's such a shame that these have been abridged. Most of the humour has been cut out of the story and leaves it very flat.

Would you ever listen to anything by E. F. Benson again?

Only if it's unabridged.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Not bad but not good.

Could you see Mapp and Lucia being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?

Has been done.

Any additional comments?

I'm so disappointed that the full length stories are no longer available on Audible. The abridged ones aren't worth buying.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Julie

Sydney, Australia

7/7/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Mannered and funny, wonderfully read"

Would you listen to Mapp and Lucia again? Why?

E.F Benson's books are favourites. I will definitely listen to this again.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Mapp and Lucia?

Shopping baskets on the Green; Susan's Royce and OBE; scheming by the two social lionesses of am English village, fighting for preeminence..

Have you listened to any of Miriam Margolyes’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Miriam Margolyes is a joy. I will listen to anything she reads. Her reading of this and of Dickens and Thackeray are pitch perfect. She lets the humour come from the characters and situation, I have downloaded all the EF Benson Mapp and Lucia books ready by MM>.

Any additional comments?

Well worth a listen, and abridgement is fine. My only question is why abridge it at all? It is all worth listening to.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

M Poole

The wilds of Yorkshire

9/24/11

Overall

"Perfectamundo!"

It's impossible to not be drawn into the world of Mapp and Lucia, as well as the superb Georgie. The struggles for power, the subtle ploys and the overt manipulation. Politicians could take lessons from the ladies of Riseholme and Tilling. The stories are read with verve and a full appreciation of Benson's style. My only complaint is that this is an abridged version, there's just not enough!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

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